CHAPTER 81: PLEASANT REUNION

After an hour of traversal, they managed to make it to the sunken tower in one piece. Though they encountered several Spectors on the way, thanks to the combined efforts of the Z-Streamers they had rescued, no one was fatally wounded.

That is... no one was fatally wounded in recent combat.

Despite being weak and injured, Min-ho and his helper were the first to head inside the tower. They had gotten in through the large windows of the tower up front on the balcony, which now seemed more like a porch due to the tower’s lower half being sunken into the ground.

The inside welcomed Min-ho and his helper to a wide hallway tilted just enough on one side to make traversal annoying. The hallway stretched about 10 meters before being cut off by an elevator of sorts. On either side of the hallway were doors that appeared every few intervals, leading to rooms of varying nature.

As per Ji-su’s confirmation, there were no Spectors in the nearest rooms. Which meant they needed to occupy one immediately and fortify it at once. Spectors were roaming the shattered plains, and it was only a matter of time before they wandered to the sunken tower.

"Searc—"

"They’re dead, aren’t they?"

Min-ho paused his words at the voice. Smoke swirled in the hands of all the Z-Streamers that had been rescued.

Their Z-Eyes quietly losing their lights while still hovering.

While the others were fearful of the voices, Min-ho and his cohorts were mostly anxious, because they knew who those voices belonged to.

"I doubt that. Their leader seems like a very hardy per—" Shin-ji’s voice paused when he came into view.

He, along with the other two, walked into the elevator from the east hallway.

Min-ho stared them down as they turned to face him and the others.

They didn’t even have a single spot of grime on their persons.

Jang-book and Dok-su tensed up, while Ji-su stepped closer to his brother.

Seo-bi peeked out from Shin-ji’s side, then she gasped upon seeing Min-ho wounded and battered up.

She immediately ran toward him, only to be held back by weapons pointed at her.

She frowned.

"It’s okay, they’re with us," Min-ho said, his mind too numb to question how they even survived the tunnels.

While he gave them the clear, the Z-Streamers did not ease up around Seo-bi or her friends. They could somehow sense the tension in Min-ho and his cohorts.

Once the weapons fell, Seo-bi rushed to Min-ho, her painted fingers over her mouth as she stared him down.

"You’re hurt," she thought, her voice somewhat... disappointed.

Everyone turned to her, be they strangers or Min-ho’s peers.

Could she not see Sae-wee or Im-hee barely hanging onto life?

Her behavior made Ji-su uncomfortable.

Min-ho ignored her and urged his helper to move forward.

They walked past Seo-bi, who was still staring at Min-ho’s wounds.

"Where’s your healer?" she asked, her tone mostly annoyed, her demeanor so nonchalant one would assume a tragedy hadn’t occurred.

Jang-book stared at her with bitterness in his eyes.

Mute to everyone’s anger, she looked around for Im-hee with both hands on her hips.

When she saw her, she lost her luster.

"Oh," she said, then finally spotted Sae-wee. "Oh."

"Did you guys find the best room in this place?" Min-ho asked with an annoyed tone. "We need to huddle up in one and barricade it. Spectors..." He winced. "Spectors could walk in at any minute."

Shin-ji and Hang-wa stared at Min-ho and the others for a moment, astonished by the new company. Shin-ji more so concerned.

As he ran his gaze over the Z-Streamers, one of them met his eyes for a moment, then shivered before looking away.

"We already took the liberty to barricade a hallway," Shin-ji said, his eyes lingering on that Z-Streamer who shivered. "Once we get in, the rooms there will be safe."

He looked away, then pointed.

"It’s the northern hallway," he added.

"What happened to you and your team?" Hang-wa finally asked.

No one answered immediately.

"We almost died," Min-ho said, unwilling to explain anything.

"Right," Hang-wa said, a bit embarrassed.

He followed Shin-ji’s direction, and they made their way into the northern hallway, where a wall that stretched to the top stood, with a hole the shape and size of a door waiting for them.

Though there were many reasons why the northern hallway was the best choice for a makeshift sanctuary, this wall alone was more than enough to convince them to use it as such.

With such a small entrance, barricading and defending it would be much easier.

Of course, if Spectors were to get in, then it’d be more of a deathtrap. But they didn’t really have other options.

Once through, Shin-ji and Hang-wa took the liberty of pushing a shelf into place, blocking the exit.

Min-ho and the others watched carefully as Shin-ji and Hang-wa pushed in several more shelves, creating enough of a barrier to

—at the very least—slow any potential threat down long enough for them to ready themselves.

Having finished up with the barricades, Shin-ji walked up to Min-ho.

"You all can pick out any rooms you want, they’re all secured. No broken walls or anything like that," Shin-ji said.

"Thank you," Min-ho responded, feeling it necessary to keep the ruse up for now.

"You heard..." he winced. "You heard him. Feel free to take any room you want."

With that, the Z-Streamers reluctantly scattered in all directions, heading into one room or the other.

"We’ll take this one," Min-ho said, gesturing with his head to the nearest room.

"Right," Orange curly-haired helper said, leading the way.

Jang-book, Dok-su, and Ji-su followed behind, and so did the Z-Streamers still carrying Sae-wee and Im-hee.

Also, an unexpected member joined in—the same Z-Streamer that was staring at Shin-ji.

Once in, Min-ho could sense someone behind them. He turned around and found the trio standing on the outside.

Instantly, something shook inside him. But with an inhale, he calmed down.

"Aren’t you three coming in?" Min-ho asked.

"We, uh... would like to be alone tonight, for certain... activities," Shin-ji said.

Min-ho furrowed his brow, then nodded and turned around.

He wasn’t sure if they were lying or telling the truth about Nightshade Streaming, but one thing was clear—he wasn’t going to be sleeping this night.

As he walked away, Seo-bi stared at him, coiling a hair around her finger while grinning.